Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 308: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with regard to the development of a Youth Employment Action Plan as identified by the European Union Commission, if he will introduce a dedicated Youth Employment Action Plan that prioritises training and education for young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22026/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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In December 2011, the European Commission launched a "Youth Opportunities Initiative" in response to the growing problem of youth unemployment across the EU. The initiative calls on Member States to work on preventing early school leaving, help young people to develop skills relevant to the labour market, ensure the provision of work experience and on-the-job training, and help young people find a first good job. The Government is responding to the issue of youth unemployment through the measures outlined its labour market initiative, Pathways to Work, which includes various training, education and work experience measures delivered by the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Social Protection.

Under Pathways to Work, the Department of Social Protection is committed to supporting over 85,000 job placement, work experience and Back to Education beneficiaries this year, including through the JobBridge internship programme. The Department of Education and Skills will provide over 450,000 education and training places this year across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors. These places will include provision for school leavers and self-referred clients, although the long-term unemployed will be a priority target.

In addition to the training and education opportunities outlined in Pathways to Work, many young people will benefit from the employment opportunities that will arise from the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. The objective of the Action Plan is to create an extra 100,000 net new jobs between 2012 and 2016, with the longer-term objective of having two million people at work by 2020.